AFA statement on the Budget

by David Grace

News Weekly, June 2, 2001

David Grace, National President of the Australian Family Association, issued this appraisal of the Federal Budget.

"The Federal Government's 2001 Budget foreshadowed that beneficiaries of the Budget would be families. Surprisingly, nothing was provided for families other than tax breaks which were announced in last year's Budget.

"The Government provided generous concessions for pensioners and self-funded retirees. Those were both needed and appropriate and we commend the Government for those measures.

"However, in a year when budgetary surplus provided opportunities to assist our real Aussie battler families, nothing was done to ease the burdens placed upon families through the increases in petrol prices and other costs over the past 12 months.

"What Australia needs is a homemaker's allowance, an allowance paid to a parent who remains at home to look after children. It reflects the economic value of work undertaken for the family in the home and, for those spouses who elect to exit the workforce to take up the opportunity, an employment place is provided for someone who may be presently unemployed. This provides a windfall for families and a windfall for Australia.

"What is needed in Australia is a family-focussed Government, one that recognises that the family is the fundamental unit of society and provides the engine room for economic growth and development of the country, as well as the nurturing process for the development of the next generation of Australians."